Multi-stage water effect system

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/243,233, title “Multi-Stage Water Effect System,” which was filed on Apr. 28, 2021, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/017,439, titled “Multi-Stage Water Effect System,” which was filed on Apr. 29, 2020, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

The present disclosure relates generally to amusement park attractions and, specifically, to methods and equipment utilized to provide special effects in a water ride of an amusement park.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are to be read in this light and not as admissions of prior art.

Water parks seek to provide a variety of ride experiences for park visitors, including water rides with water ride vehicles (e.g., bumper rides, log rides, and raft rides). Certain types of water rides provide appeal to riders by adding thrilling aspects to the rider's experience within the water ride such as sharp turns, collisions with the course and/or other water ride vehicles that may result in the rider being splashed. However, the thrilling aspects may not vary between ride experiences, which means that repeat visitors are less surprised on subsequent visits. In addition, the experience for each rider is the same, regardless of their actions or the course of the ride. It is presently recognized that certain water ride vehicles may provide additional appeal to riders by incorporating the thrilling aspects that are more specific to ride experience and/or each water ride vehicle.

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be noted that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be noted that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. One or more specific embodiments of the present embodiments described herein will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be noted that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be noted that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to a multi-stage water effect system that may be used in conjunction with amusement park rides, such as water rides. Certain types of water rides (e.g., log flume, water coasters, bumper boats, and the like) may be designed to provide a thrilling experience to one or more riders within the water ride vehicles of the water ride through collisions and/or rapid descents that result in water from outside of the water ride vehicle splashing the one or more riders within the water ride vehicle. To enhance the thrilling sensation felt by the one or more riders during the water ride, present embodiments use a multi-stage water effect system having one or more water effect devices disposed within and/or on the water ride vehicle.

The multi-stage water effect system provides a dynamic and variable thrill experience that triggers one or more aspects of a boat damage illusion in a layered manner. Over the course of a water ride, the multi-stage water effect system may cause a water ride vehicle to activate escalating effects (interior rivets popping, vehicle bottom partially filling with water, sound effects) associated with boat damage or a hull breach. These effects are part of an illusion and are tailored in size and scope to provide at thrill that is an enjoyable part of an immersive experience. Further, the multi-stage water effect system may be activated in a variable manner so that only certain ride vehicles experience these effects. The ride vehicles may be selected in a random manner, based on previous events (e.g., bumping or collisions) experienced during the water ride, based on rider information stored in a profile, and/or based on active selection or an opt-in selection by the rider or riders in an individual water ride vehicle. Further, the multi-stage water effect system may be activated to partially escalate, fully escalate, and/or de-escalate over the course of the water ride, providing additional ride variability for each water ride vehicle. In this manner, the illusion is more surprising and immersive and provides new thrills for repeat visitors who may not yet have experienced the multi-stage water effect system or all of the potential stages of a full escalation.

As referred to herein, an individual stage of operation of the multi-stage water effect system may include instructions for the multi-stage water effect system to activate a set of the one or more water effect devices of one or more ride vehicles to provide a fluid flow having a certain flow rate and/or certain flow pattern (e.g., a continuous flow rate, increasing flow rate, a quick burst of fluid flow, and the like). The instructions may also include instructions to activate any accompanying effects such as audio or motion effects that enhance each stage of the illusion. As discussed in more detail herein, a water ride vehicle interaction may refer to interactions between the water ride vehicle and features of the water ride (e.g., collisions with other water ride vehicles, barriers and the like) and/or the water ride vehicle passing certain checkpoints within the water ride (e.g., traveling a predetermined distanced, going through a rapid descent, and the like). In any case, the multi-stage water effect system provides one or more water effects via one or more water effect devices. In an embodiment, the water effect devices may at least partially fill a portion of the water ride vehicle. By providing a fluid flow into the water ride vehicle and partially filling a portion of the water ride vehicle with the fluid, the one or more riders can be made to feel as though the water ride vehicle is breaking and/or sinking, which may increase the thrill and excitement felt by the one or more riders, when, in actuality, the water ride vehicle remains afloat and secure.

Provided herein is a multi-stage water effect system including one or more water ride vehicles, each having one or more water effect devices that may enhance the experience of the respective riders. Additionally, the multi-stage water effect system may include a control system that activates or selects a stage of operation from multiple stages of operation. Based on the stage of operation, the control system may activate and/or adjust operation of the one or more water effect devices in accordance with the selected stage of operation. For example, the control system may increase a flow rate of a fluid flow provided by one or more water effect devices of a respective water ride vehicle based on individual water ride vehicle interactions associated with the respective water ride vehicle. As a result, the one or more riders of the one or more water ride vehicles may experience escalating water effects and/or the water ride vehicle may begin to fill with water, which may increase the excitement of the riders. Moreover, in an embodiment including multiple water ride, the control system may activate a different stage of operation for each water ride vehicle (i.e., trigger activation in a variable manner of the one or more water effect devices of each water ride vehicle) based on certain factors, such as the water ride vehicle interactions of the respective vehicles. Therefore, riders of different water ride vehicles experience different water effects over the course of the ride. Such varying water effects may not only enhance the immersive experiences during the ride, but may also provide a unique experience for repeat visitors.

1 FIG. 1 FIG. 10 12 14 16 12 18 20 22 14 24 24 14 12 14 24 18 20 22 18 20 22 12 shows perspective views of a water ridewith a multi-stage water effect systemthat includes a water ride vehiclehaving one or more water effect devices.shows different stages of operation of the multi-stage water effect systemincluding an initial stage, a first stage, and a second stage. As shown, the water ride vehicleincludes a rider. While only one riderand one water ride vehicleare shown, another embodiment of the multi-stage water effect systemmay include any number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more) of water ride vehicleswith any number of riders. In the depicted embodiment, three stages of operation (e.g., the initial stage, the first stage, and the second stage) are shown. Additionally, while only three stages (e.g., the initial stage, the first stage, and the second stage) are shown, certain embodiment of the multi-stage water effect systemmay include any number (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more) stages. Further, while the depicted embodiment shows an example of an escalating effect, an embodiment may also include de-escalation or only partial escalation over the course of the effect.

12 16 12 18 16 18 12 16 18 10 24 14 10 12 18 The multi-stage water effect systemactivates the one or more water effect devicesin accordance with the appropriate stage of operation. In the depicted embodiment, in response to the multi-stage water effect systemoperating in accordance with the initial stage, none of the water effect devicesare activated (e.g., providing a fluid flow). The initial stageof operation of the multi-stage water effect systemmay generally correspond to no activation of any of the water effect devices. For example, the initial stagemay correspond to a time period before any water ride vehicle interactions (e.g., collisions with barriers, other water ride vehicles, the water ride vehicle passing predetermined locations within the water ride) may occur and/or time events have elapsed, such as shortly after the riderhas entered the water ride vehicleat the beginning of the water ride. As such, in one embodiment, the multi-stage water effect systemmay operate in the initial stageas a default.

12 20 16 20 20 14 28 12 20 16 16 26 12 16 16 20 18 16 14 28 14 14 a a a a a The multi-stage water effect systemmay enter the first stageof operation and activate the one or more water effect devicesin accordance with the first stageof operation. As provided herein, the first stageof operation may be selected based on rider profile information, random selection, or the water vehicle ride interaction by way of example. In the depicted embodiment, the water ride vehicle interaction is the water ride vehiclecontacting (e.g., bumping, colliding, moving within a threshold range of) an attraction feature. As a result of the water ride vehicle interaction, the multi-stage water effect systemselects the first stageof operation and activates the water effect device, which causes the water effect deviceto provide fluid flowat a fluid flow rate and/or or fluid pressure according to instructions from a control system, as provided herein. However, in another embodiment, the multi-stage water effect systemmay change the operation of the one or more water effect devicesafter certain time events, such as a predetermined time duration after the start of a stage of operation, after the beginning of the water ride, and other thematic events that may incorporate a predetermined time duration. For example, the water effect devicemay activate in accordance with the first stageof operation after the a predetermined time duration (e.g., 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and the like) that begins with the start of the initial stageof operation. In another embodiment, the water effect devicemay activate in response to a measurable distance traveled by the water ride vehicle(e.g., measured by sensors). For example, the attraction featuremay include sensor(s) that communicate with respective sensor(s) on the water ride vehicleand provide feedback indicative of the measureable distance traveled by the water ride vehicle.

14 12 22 16 22 22 16 16 26 26 16 26 26 14 24 26 26 14 16 14 28 28 14 20 22 16 20 22 16 26 12 20 22 20 16 16 b c b b a b b b After an additional water ride vehicle interaction (e.g., a subsequent interaction) has occurred that involves the water ride vehicle, the multi-stage water effect systemmay select the second stageof operation and thus activate the one or more water effect devicesin accordance with the second stageof operation. For example, as a result of the second stageof operation being selected, an additional water effect device,is activated to provide a fluid flow. One or more characteristics of the fluid flow, such as the flow rate or pressure, from an individual water effect devicemay be changed between different stages of operation or over the course of an individual stage of operation according to the control instructions associated with a particular stage of operation. In some embodiments, a flow rate or pressure of the fluid flowmay be relatively higher than a flow rate or pressure of the fluid flowand/or provided from a different area of the water ride vehicle. The ridermay experience a thrill of excitement upon seeing the fluid flowhaving a higher flow rate or pressure as well as the flow fluidbeing provided from a different area of the water ride vehicle. In one embodiment, the additional water effect devicemay be activated as a result of the water ride vehiclecontacting the attraction feature(e.g., a subsequent interaction or collision), another attraction feature, another water ride vehicleas part of an escalation. In an embodiment, transitioning from the first stageto the second stageof operation is a layered effect in which all water effect devicesactive in the first stageremain active in the second stagewhile additional water effect devicesare also activated. In an embodiment, the activated subset and/or the flow rate of fluid flowchanges between stages of operation. In an embodiment, the operation of the multi-stage water effect systemmay change from the first stageof operation to the second stageof operation after a time threshold occurring after the start of the first stageof operation. It should be understood that each vehicle may include multiple water effect devices, and all or a subset of the water effect devicesmay be activated during different stages.

16 16 14 17 15 17 20 16 17 16 16 17 16 16 26 16 26 20 17 16 17 16 16 24 24 22 14 16 21 14 a b a a a a a a c In the illustrated embodiment, the water effect devices,may be integrated into features of the water ride vehiclethat are associated with springing leaks, such as prop hull rivetsincorporated into faux interior seams. The rivetsmay be mechanically controlled to actuate forward in a popping motion as part of the first stageof operation and in conjunction with activation of the fluid flow. In an embodiment, an individual water effect deviceand its coupled individual rivetmay be actuated to pop in a coordinated manner following the activation of fluid flow from the individual water effect device. For example, a spray of water from the individual water effect devicemay be followed by popping of the rivetand then a subsequent increased spray (caused by a relatively increased flow rate) from the individual water effect device. Accordingly, an individual stage of operation may include instructions to operate certain effects in an ordered or coordinated manner as various substages such that the activated subset of water effect devicesand the fluid flowfrom each water effect devicechanges over the course of the stage of operation (e.g., increasing or decreasing fluid flow). In one example, in the first stageof operation, the individual rivetsand their coupled water effect devicesmay be controlled to activate in various locations all around the water ride vehicle at first in a staggered manner and subsequently with several individual rivetsand their coupled water effect devicesactivating together to create the illusion of increasing water pressure on the hull or hull failure. The activated set or subset may be selected to spray around the entire interior to spread the water effect around to all of the riders. In an embodiment, the activated subset of water effect devicesmay be selected to be located next to the seats of repeat ridersor thrill-seeking riders(per rider profile information). The second stageof operation may bring online a more dramatic influx of fluid into the water ride vehicle, such as through a water effect devicecoupled to an opening or gratein the bottom of the water ride vehicle.

22 20 20 18 12 22 16 22 12 18 12 16 18 22 14 28 10 12 16 18 20 22 14 12 22 12 20 While the depicted embodiment shows the second stageoccurring after the first stageand the first stageoccurring after the initial stage, it should be noted that, in another embodiment, the relative order of the stages is non-limiting and may depend on the type of water ride vehicle interaction that triggered the stage. That is, in one embodiment, the multi-stage water effect systemmay select the second stageof operation and activate the one or more water effect devicesin accordance with the second stageof operation although the a current stage of operation of the multi-stage water effect systemis the initial stageof operation. For example, certain water ride vehicle interactions may cause the multi-stage water effect systemto change operation of the one or more water effect devicesfrom the initial stageof operation directly to the second stageof operation, such as a location of the water ride vehiclethat collided with another attraction feature, and/or input from an operator of the water ride. As another non-limiting example, the multi-stage water effect systemmay change operation of the one or more water effect devicesfrom the initial stageto the first stageor the second stage(bypassing the first stage) based on a magnitude of the water ride vehicle interaction. That is, continuing with the example of the water ride vehicle interaction being a collision, when a force of impact associated with the collision (e.g., measured by a sensor on the water ride vehicle) is above a threshold (e.g., an impact threshold), the multi-stage water effect systemmay select the second stageof operation. When the force of the impact associated with the collision is below the threshold, the multi-stage water effect systemmay select the first stageof operation.

16 30 30 14 30 14 16 12 14 30 30 14 16 32 14 30 30 20 22 16 The operation of the one or more water effect devicesmay be controlled by a control system. While in the depicted embodiment the control systemis shown disposed on the water ride vehicle, in another embodiment, the control systemmay be separate from the water ride vehicleand communicate remotely with the one or more water effect devices. For example, in an embodiment where the multi-stage water effect systemincludes multiple water ride vehicles, one or more remote control systemsmay control operation of each water ride vehicles. Alternatively, the control systemmay include a master controller as well as slave controllers for each of the water ride vehicles. In one embodiment, the one or more water effect devicesmay be activated based on signals from one or more sensorsthat receive feedback indicative of a condition associated with the water ride vehicle, which may be used by the control systemto determine whether a water ride vehicle interaction has occurred. In response to determining whether the water ride vehicle interaction has occurred and determining the type of water ride vehicle interaction, the control systemmay select (e.g., change) a stage of the operation (e.g., the first stageor the second stage) and activate the one or more water effect devicesin accordance with the selected stage of operation.

12 30 30 34 36 34 36 34 36 34 2 FIG. Accordingly, the multi-stage water effect systemmay operate under the control system, as shown in the block diagram of. The control systemmay include a processor, which may include one or more processing devices, and a memorystoring instructions executable by the processor. The memorymay include one or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media. By way of example, such machine-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by the processoror by any general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. For example, the memorymay store a look-up table that may reference certain water ride vehicle interactions and corresponding stages of operations, which may be used by the processorfor selecting a stage of operation.

30 38 40 12 30 42 42 12 30 The control systemmay also include communications circuitryand/or input and output circuitryto facilitate communication with other components of the multi-stage water effect system. In addition, the control systemmay be coupled, either directly or wirelessly, to an operator input device or operator interfacethat, in operation, may be used by a ride technician to provide input used to control one or more ride features. As noted, the operator interface, or other components of the multi-stage water effect system, may be located remotely from the control systemin certain embodiments and may be, for example, implemented on a mobile device.

30 16 16 30 16 44 46 30 16 14 16 30 30 As discussed above, control systemmay control operation of the water effect devices, such as activation of the water effect devices to provide a fluid flow, the flow rate and/or type of flow of the fluid flow, and a number of water effect devicesto operate based on a stage of operation selected by the control system. The water effect devicesmay include one or more fluid sourcesin fluid communication with one or more fluid outlet ports(e.g., via a channel, conduit, and the like). Upon receiving a signal from the control system, the one or more water effect devicesmay open the flow of fluid to the water ride vehicle, such as by opening a valve to release the fluid (e.g., provide a fluid flow) and/or activating one or more pumps to affect the flow rate and/or flow pressure of the fluid flow. Accordingly, the water effect devicesmay include suitable flow control elements, such as valves and pumps configured to be operated under control of the control system. In addition, the control systemmay also control deactivation of fluid flow and/or fluid draining. In one embodiment, the fluid flow is automatically shut down and/or drained if the fill level rises above a predetermined level, which may be determined by one or more of an operator input or a sensor feedback.

12 48 30 48 14 14 In certain embodiments, the multi-stage water effect systemmay also include one or more special effects systemsunder control of the control system. Such special effects may include light effects, motion effects, sound effects, image effects etc. A special effects systemmay be configured to coordinate with the fluid effects as provided herein. For example, sound effects of rushing water may be triggered concurrently with the fluid flow to create the overall impression of a deluge of water filling the water ride vehicle. As another non-limiting example, motion effects controlled by actuators may be triggered before fluid flow to create the illusion to a rider that structural support features of the water ride vehiclehave collapsed.

30 16 32 34 16 30 32 32 14 32 14 14 The control systemmay generally control the operation of the water effect devices(e.g., activating, deactivating, adjusting a flow rate, adjust a type of flow) based on feedback received from the sensors. That is, the processormay transmit a signal (e.g., a control signal) that causes the one or more water effect devicesto provide a fluid flow in accordance with a stage of operation selected by the control system. The one or more sensorsgenerally include devices that may generate, acquire, and/or receive data (e.g., image data, audio data, electronic data, movement data, and the like), such as imaging devices (e.g., camera, video recording device, and the like), motion sensors (e.g., passive infrared (PIR) sensors, microwave, and the like), accelerometers, proximity sensors, contact sensors, reader devices (e.g., radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices, barcode scanners, QR code scanners, devices capable of communicating via Bluetooth, radio-frequency, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), wireless WANs (WWANs), wireless LANs (WLANs), mobile communications networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, Edge, and the like), and the so forth. In some embodiments, the one or more sensorsmay be placed or positioned in areas of the water ride vehiclebased on where a collision is more likely to occur. For example, multiple sensorsmay be disposed the side facing the interior of the water ride vehicleand/or facing away from the interior of the water ride vehicle.

16 24 14 10 30 16 30 16 16 16 In one embodiment, the signal to control operation of the one or more water effect devicesmay be based at least in part on a signal from a ride technician that the rideris correctly positioned in the water ride vehicle, after a predetermined time period following the start of the water ride, and the like. For example, the control systemmay transmit a first control signal to the one or more water effect devicesthat causes the one or more water effect devices to provide a first fluid flow (e.g., having a first fluid flow rate and/or first fluid flow type) at a first time. Additionally, the control systemmay transmit a second control signal to the one or more water effect devices(e.g., or a different set of the one or more water effect devices) that causes the one or more water effect devicesto provide a second fluid flow (e.g., having a second fluid flow rate and/or second fluid flow type) at a second time.

3 FIG. 3 FIG. 12 14 16 12 14 14 14 14 16 16 14 16 16 14 16 16 14 32 32 14 32 32 14 32 14 48 32 16 48 12 28 28 28 28 32 32 32 12 30 32 16 a b c a a b b c d c e f a a b b c d c e a a b c f g h To illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure,is a perspective view of the multi-stage water effect systemthat includes multiple water ride vehiclesthat each have one or more water effect devices. As shown in the illustrated embodiment in, the multi-stage water effect systemincludes a first water ride vehicle, a second water ride vehicle, and a third water ride vehicle. The first water ride vehiclehas a first water effect deviceand a second water effect device, the second water ride vehiclehas a third water effect deviceand a fourth water effect device, and the third water ride vehiclehas a fifth water effect deviceand a sixth water effect device. Additionally, the first water ride vehiclehas a first sensorand a second sensor, the second water ride vehiclehas a third sensorand a fourth sensor, and the third water ride vehiclehas a fifth sensor. The first water ride vehiclealso has a special effects systems(e.g., a speaker). As discussed herein, the number and relative positioning of the sensors, the water effect devices, and the special effects systemsis meant to be non-limiting. The multi-stage water effect systemalso includes one or more attraction features. The first attraction feature, the second attraction feature, and the third attraction featureinclude a sixth sensor, a seventh sensor, and an eighth sensor. The depicted embodiment of the multi-stage water effect systemalso includes a control system, which is communicatively coupled to each of the sensorsand configured to control operation of the water effect devicesas discussed herein.

16 14 12 14 16 14 14 14 14 4 FIG. 3 FIG. a b c To illustrate how the operation of the one or more water effect devicesassociated with a respective water ride vehiclemay change in response to a water ride vehicle interaction,is a perspective view of the multi-stage water effect systemshown in. In general, multiple water ride vehicle interactions associated with each water ride vehiclehave triggered different stages of operation for each of the water effect devicesof the multiple water ride vehicles(e.g., the first water ride vehicle, the second water ride vehicle, and the third water ride vehicle).

16 16 26 26 16 16 14 28 28 32 14 50 32 28 30 32 320 32 50 32 28 30 32 32 32 32 14 30 16 16 16 26 26 a b a b a b a a c a a a f a a a b h c a h a c a As shown in the depicted embodiment, the first water effect deviceand the second water effect deviceare providing a fluid flowand a fluid flow, respectively. In this case, the first water effect deviceand the second water effect deviceare activated in response to a detected water ride vehicle interaction corresponding to the first water ride vehiclecolliding with the first attraction featureand the attraction feature. That is, the first sensordisposed on the first water ride vehicleis within the first areato interact with the sixth sensordisposed on the first attraction featureand the control systemreceives a feedback indicative of the interaction (e.g., from the first sensorand/or the sixth sensor. Additionally, the first sensoris within the second areato interact with the eighth sensordisposed on the third attraction featureand the control systemreceives an additional feedback indicative of the additional interaction (e.g., from the first sensorand/or the eighth sensor). In one embodiment, the feedback and/or the additional feedback may each include an identification of which sensor(s)interacted, a position of the sensor(s)on the water ride vehicle, and/or the identity of the water ride vehicle. In any case, the control systemselects a stage operation based on the feedback and the additional feedback and activates the one or more water effect devicesin accordance with the selected stage of operation. As shown in the depicted embodiment, the first water effect deviceand the third water effect deviceare activated and providing a first fluid flowand a second fluid flow, respectively.

32 16 16 16 14 32 32 32 32 16 16 32 14 30 48 24 a f a h a c a a. In one embodiment, each sensormay correspond with one or more water effect devicessuch that the water effect deviceof the one or more water effect devicesmay correspond to a relative location of the water ride vehicle interaction on the water ride vehicle. For example, when the first sensoris interacting with the sixth sensorand the first sensoris not interacting with the eighth sensor, then only one of the water effect devices (e.g., the first water effect deviceor third water effect device) may be activated. In another embodiment, in response to the sensor(s)detecting one or more water ride vehicle interactions associated with the water ride vehicle, the control systemmay transmit a control signal instructing the special effects device(e.g., a speaker) to output audio, such as a sound of water filling the boat, which may add to the thrill experience by the rider

16 14 16 14 26 26 16 16 14 14 32 14 50 32 14 30 32 32 32 32 14 30 16 14 16 16 26 26 16 14 16 14 16 16 30 14 d b e c c d d e b c c b c e c c e c d e c d c b f c c f As shown in the depicted embodiment, the fourth water effect deviceof the second water ride vehicleand the fifth water effect deviceof the third water ride vehicleare providing a fluid flowand a fluid flow, respectively. In this case, the fourth water effect deviceand the fifth water effect deviceare activated in response to an additional detected water ride vehicle interaction corresponding to the second water ride vehiclecolliding with the third water ride vehicle. More specifically, the third sensordisposed on the second water ride vehicleis within the third areato interact with the fifth sensordisposed on the third water ride vehicleand the control systemreceives a feedback indicative of this interaction (e.g., from the third sensorand/or the fifth sensor). As mentioned above, the feedback may include an identification of which sensor(s)interacted, a position of the sensor(s)on the water ride vehicle, and/or the identity of the water ride vehicle. In any case, the control systemmay select a stage of operation based on the feedback and activate the one or more water effect devicesof the second water ride vehicle and/or the third water ride vehicle. As shown in the depicted embodiment, the fourth water effect deviceand the fifth water effect deviceare activated and providing a third fluid flowand a fourth fluid flow, respectively. While the third water effect deviceof the second water ride vehicleand the sixth water effect deviceof the third water ride vehicleare not activated in depicted embodiment, in another embodiment, the third water effect deviceand the sixth water effect devicemay be activated as a result of the additional detected water ride vehicle interaction or may be activated when the control systemselects another stage of operation for the water ride vehicle(s).

30 16 14 16 14 16 14 14 28 32 32 14 30 d b e c b g In another embodiment, the control systemmay be configured to activate one or more water effect devicesbased on the water ride vehiclemoving a certain distance or passing a distance threshold. For example, the water effect deviceof the second water ride vehicleand the water effect deviceof the third water ride vehiclemay activate based on the water ride vehiclesmoving within a distance of the second attraction feature. That is, the seventh sensormay be emit radiation having a frequency (e.g., visible, infrared, radio, and the like) that may be detected by the sensor(s)of the water ride vehicle(s)and the detected radiation may be used by the control systemfor selecting a stage of operation.

30 14 10 30 14 30 16 16 In one embodiment, the control systemoperates to provide a varied experience for each individual water ride vehicleand or water rideover the course of multiple ride cycles of a day. For example, the control systemmay access the stored executed control instructions of an individual ride vehiclethat are indicative of a last ride cycle of the water ride. The control systemmay then vary the next set of instructions so that the ride experience is different between runs. The variability, and resulting different instructions provided to the water effect devices, may be based according to the factors provided herein, such as rider profile information or water event interactions. In an embodiment, the instructions may be randomly set, whereby the timing and duration of activation, the selection of the set of water effect devicesthat are activated, and/or the flow rate or pressure are all subject to variable control parameters that may be set by a random parameter generator.

5 FIG. 14 12 16 16 12 52 44 54 16 46 56 14 16 58 16 12 60 44 62 56 14 44 16 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a water ride vehicleof the multi-stage water effect systemhaving multiple water effect devices. Each water effect deviceof the multi-stage water effect systemincludes one or more fluid conduits or fluid circuitsthat may each be selectively coupled to receive fluid (e.g., water) from the fluid source(e.g., a container, reservoir, collecting chamber) via corresponding valves. The water effect devicesmay include one or more fluid portsthat may provide the fluid to the interiorof the water ride vehicle. Additionally, the water effect devicesmay also include one or more fluid pumpsthat may modify (e.g., increase or decrease) the flow rate of the fluid flow provided by the one or more water effect devices. The multi-stage water effect systemalso includes a drainthat may be selectively coupled to the fluid sourcevia the drain valveto return the water that fills the interiorof the water ride vehicleto the fluid source. In this way, the fluid flow provided by the one or more water effect devicesmay be a closed system, and may facilitate cleaning of the multi-stage water effect system.

44 52 54 58 14 14 15 21 14 24 14 14 14 14 In certain embodiments, various fluid transfer and ingress/egress features, such as the fluid source, the circuits, the valves, the pumps, ducts, and/or the drain may be hidden under functional components (e.g., a seat) of the water ride vehicleas well as thematic components of the water ride vehicle, such as a chest, a barrel, the seamsor grate. In one example, various additional drains or ducts may be incorporated into the bottom of the water ride vehicleto permit fluid drainage so that the personal belongings or clothing of the ridersdoes not become waterlogged. Further, the water ride vehiclemay include features that encourage gravity-based drainage via ducts in the stern when the water ride vehicleis docked or when the bow of the water ride vehicleis oriented upward. In other embodiments, the water ride vehiclemay be actively pumped out between ride cycles.

30 52 52 52 52 44 54 54 54 54 30 30 14 16 54 54 54 30 58 58 58 30 16 58 12 54 52 30 44 52 54 52 52 52 44 54 54 54 26 56 14 a b c a b c a b c a b c a b c a b c During operation, the control systemselectively fluidically couples one or more of the circuits(e.g., the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit) to the fluid sourcevia the valves(e.g., the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve) based on water ride vehicle interactions identified by the control system. For instance, the control systemmay receive feedback indicative of the water ride vehiclecolliding into another feature of the water ride, determine a stage of operation for the one or more water effect devices, and selectively adjust (e.g., open, partially open, partially close, or completely close) a position of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valvebased on the feedback. Additionally or alternatively, the control systemmay adjust a flow rate provided by the first pump, the second pump, and the third pumpbased on the feedback. For example, the control systemmay increase (e.g., continuously or iteratively) a flow rate of fluid provided by a water effect devicesfrom a first flow rate to a second flow rate by adjusting the speed of a respective pumpas the stage operation of the multi-stage water effect systemchanges. In certain embodiments, a single valvemay couple two or more of the circuits, and therefore, the control systemmay enable the fluid from the fluid sourceto flow through multiple circuitsby adjusting a single valve. In any case, when the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuitare fluidly coupled to the fluid sourcevia the first valve, the second valve, and the third valvemay provide a fluid flowto at least the interiorof the water ride vehicle.

6 FIG. 70 12 30 12 72 30 12 74 30 14 14 18 20 22 30 16 14 30 14 16 56 14 56 14 24 46 24 30 16 16 76 is a flow diagram of a methodof operating the multi-stage water effect system. As noted, the control systemof the multi-stage water effect systemmay receive a signal indicative of a water ride vehicle interaction (block). The signal may be one or a combination of an operator input, a sensor feedback, or after a time duration has been reached (e.g., from the start of the ride, or from the start of a stage). Upon receipt of the signal, the control systemselects a stage to operate the multi-stage water effect system(block). For example, the control systemmay determine one or more water ride vehiclesassociated with the water ride vehicle interaction. The control system may also determine a current stage of operation of the water ride vehicle, such as whether the water ride vehicle is currently in the initial stageof operation, the first stageof operation, or the second stageof operation. The control systemmay also determine a subset of the one or more water effect devicesof each of the one or more water ride vehiclesto activate based on the signal. Additionally, the control systemmay determine a flow rate and/or flow type that corresponds to the selected stage of operation to provide to the one or more water ride vehiclesusing the one or more water effect devices. In addition, any accompanying special effects may also be activated concurrently with the fluid flow. The fluid flow may be under volume or time control. That is, in one embodiment, the fluid flow is maintained until a desired fill level within the interiorof the water ride vehicleis reached, which may be determined based on operator input and/or sensor feedback. In another embodiment, the fluid flow may continue until expiration of a timer. For example, the timer may be set based on a predetermined volume of the interiorof the water ride vehicle, an average displacement of the rider, the flow rate of the fluid outlet ports, and a desired fill level (e.g., a fill level that fills to no higher than calf height for the shortest possible rider). In a specific embodiment, the fill level may be dynamically adjusted based on the anatomy of an individual rider. Once the desired stage of operation is determined, the control systemmay output a control signal to the one or more water effect devicescausing the one or more water effect devicesto provide a fluid flow based on the stage of operation (block).

While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).